Just built my first to-do list app and wow it was tougher than I thought

Discussion
1

I came across a tweet from the founder of Gumroad suggesting that everyone should make a to-do list app and share theirs.

Having never created one, I figured it wouldn’t be too tough. Turns out, I was wrong

So here it is in all its simplicity. It does what you expect. I went for a layout like ChatGPT, where the input stays at the bottom and tasks stack in reverse order, which means new tasks pop up at the bottom. Nothing too fancy but it makes me happy

Check it out to-do.lol

2

Awesome work! Now, think about accessibility

3

Tatum said:
Awesome work! Now, think about accessibility

Are you talking about color or something else? The light grey on white is pretty hard to see

4

Dara said:

Tatum said:
Awesome work! Now, think about accessibility

Are you talking about color or something else? The light grey on white is pretty hard to see

How does it look with a screen reader? Can you navigate it only with a keyboard?

5

@Zion
Can I navigate with just a keyboard?

I need to be able to do it with my light saber.

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Dara said:

Tatum said:
Awesome work! Now, think about accessibility

Are you talking about color or something else? The light grey on white is pretty hard to see

Not sure, maybe they meant to make it widely available

7

@Sloane
Ahh maybe, thanks! Can you still get to it with the link? The empty state is just a little button at the bottom, easy to overlook

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Dara said:
@Sloane
Ahh maybe, thanks! Can you still get to it with the link? The empty state is just a little button at the bottom, easy to overlook

It wasn’t very clear. I meant it should meet WCAG standards. Features should be usable solely with a keyboard and a screen reader. I am concerned about the drag-and-drop feature

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@Tatum
Ahh yess, thanks! You’re right. I set it up so you can tab and hit enter to create new tasks and mark them done, but I didn’t consider the drag-and-drop. Great feedback

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Dara said:
@Tatum
Ahh yess, thanks! You’re right. I set it up so you can tab and hit enter to create new tasks and mark them done, but I didn’t consider the drag-and-drop. Great feedback

A11y is your friend. Look it up and follow the practices they have. Aim for at least WCAG AA compliance. There are a bunch of chrome extensions and specific linters available. Sorry for the format, using my phone

11

Nice work, well done!

Just wondering, what screen recording software did you use for your demo video? It looks great

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Vic said:
Nice work, well done!

Just wondering, what screen recording software did you use for your demo video? It looks great

Thanks! I used https://screen.studio/, bought a lifetime license when it first launched and it’s fantastic. If you do a lot of screen recordings or product demos, it’s totally worth it

13

@Dara
Alright, I suspected as much! I’ve been considering getting it myself. Appreciate you sharing it!

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Vic said:
Nice work, well done!

Just wondering, what screen recording software did you use for your demo video? It looks great

I go for OBS and sometimes Kdenlive to edit after. This looks way better than anything I’ve done. I would love to know more about your process

15

@Haru
Just sharing again in case you missed it:
I used https://screen.studio/, bought a lifetime license when it first launched and it’s awesome. For a lot of screen recordings and product demos, it’s totally worth it. The new version (not included in my license sadly) has features like typing detection and shareable links.

You might also check out https://supercut.video/, it’s more like Loom and perfect for longer explanations or courses.

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I’ve noticed that app ideas often turn out to be more complicated than you first think.

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Zephyr said:
I’ve noticed that app ideas often turn out to be more complicated than you first think.

Absolutely, the more I create, the more respect I have for those who make quality software

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Looks nice, the UI is really appealing. Now, consider adding user accounts and creating different sections for tasks like To Do, In Progress, and so on. The potential for a to-do app is huge!

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Ollie said:
Looks nice, the UI is really appealing. Now, consider adding user accounts and creating different sections for tasks like To Do, In Progress, and so on. The potential for a to-do app is huge!

For sure, the line between a simple to-do app and a full productivity tracker depends on how many features you add before hitting a wall

20

@Amar
Haha for sure! I started with a more complex web app to track my work contributions for my performance reviews but never built a simple to-do list. I posted about it here if you’re interested. No landing page yet or anything